Roofing in Long Beach Boulevard, Lynwood

Leaks in more than one place at once; shingles curling or bare of granules across whole slopes; a sag you can see from the street; daylight through the deck in the attic; and patches failing faster than they can be made. One sign on its own is usually a repair, and age alone is a reason to have the roof looked at, not a verdict.

For asphalt shingle on one small Lynwood house it is about three times neighboring Downey's published average of $5,000 to $10,500, so ask what is driving it. It can be reasonable if it covers the house, a garage and a flat rear section, with more than one layer to strip. The total alone does not settle it; the itemized lines do.

A CSLB C-39 license number you can check on the CSLB's website, proof of workers' compensation (required of C-39 contractors), a written, itemized quote, and a roofer who looks at the roof and the attic before pricing anything. On an old roof, also one who says what comes off as well as what goes on.

When it stops being repairable, not on a calendar. Asphalt shingles are generally rated at 20 to 30 years, and local roofers describe Lynwood's summer heat aging them faster than that. A roof is done when it leaks in several places, sags, or needs a new patch every season, and not before.